The Aspen Community School is implementing a new safety plan that includes drills like “lockdowns” and table-top exercises. The increased security is meant to prepare for events like an active shooter, a bear inside the school or a wildfire. As contributor Marci Krivonen reports, schools across Colorado have been increasing security since Columbine in 1999.

Moose are starting to appear in more populated areas in Colorado. One was spotted only a couple of weeks ago in Glenwood Springs. Experts/wildlife officials said this is expected to become more common as the moose population continues to grow in the state. Aspen Public Radio’s Barbara Platts has the story.

Pitkin County’s Open Space and Trails Department is planning to put up signs about moose on some of its properties after several reports of sightings.

It’s the first time in recent memory moose have been spotted at places like the North Star Nature Preserve, along the Hunter Creek trail and near the Roaring Fork River in the midvalley.

Education materials on how to behave around moose are prolific in areas like the Maroon Bells. Now, Assistant Director of Pitkin County Open Space Gary Tennenbaum says his department will add them to their properties.

Too many people are storing food in their tents in the Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness, so the Forest Service is mandating bear resistant containers.

Forest Service District Ranger Karen Shroyer says the decision comes after recent human-bear conflicts in the heavily used wilderness area. It stretches over 160,000 acres and includes the Maroon Bells scenic area.

For decades the Aspen Valley Land Trust has kept open spaces in the Roaring Fork Valley from being developed. Now, the organization’s director is preparing to step down. Martha Cochran sat down with Aspen Public Radio’s Marci Krivonen. She says the work AVLT has done to permanently preserve land is not just critical for views and historic land uses, like ranching, it’s important for wildlife.

Martha Cochran is executive director of Aspen Valley Land Trust. She’s stepping down at the end of the year, but intends to stay in the Roaring Fork Valley.

Bugs and wildlife are benefiting from higher-than-normal rivers in the Roaring Fork watershed. Heavy rain and snowmelt have boosted flows to flood stage in some areas. It’s positive for the river ecosystem.

River flows are above average on the Roaring Fork, Frying Pan, Crystal and Colorado rivers. It’s good news for water quality and wildlife habitat along the riverbanks. The flows knock away dirt buildup in the spaces between rocks on the riverbed. Rick Lafaro with the Roaring Fork Conservancy says that’s where bugs live.

The management of a nature preserve east of Aspen is getting an update, in part, to address overcrowding. The section of the Roaring Fork River that runs through the North Star Nature Preserve is busy in the summer and traffic piles up along Highway 82. Aspen resident Phil Dwyer has seen it first-hand.

"It’s amazing how much traffic is out here. It’s great that it’s popular. But, the parking has been long and lining the highway for quite a ways."

Colorado Parks and Wildlife wants input on how it should operate in the coming years. The agency generates its own $200 million dollar budget. The lion’s share comes from hunting licenses and similar fees. And that revenue is dropping because the agency is selling fewer licenses. CPW is looking for public input on how to make up for the losses, which could include new user fees.

Moose are showing up this summer at one of Aspen’s most popular destinations; the Maroon Bells. Already there have been reports of moose charging hikers and the Forest Service closed the trails there for a day this week. The trails have reopened but rangers are warning visitors to be aware of the potential danger. As Aspen Public Radio’s Dorothy Atkins explains they are also considering other options.

The White River National Forest is working toward the final stages of updating its oil and gas plan. The document sets out rules for the energy industry, like where and when they can operate on the Forest. And, it could impact what happens in the Thompson Divide. The agency is updating the old plan partly because oil and gas operations have advanced in the area. Aspen Public Radio’s Marci Krivonen reports.

The Forest Service is chipping away at plans to improve habitat on 10’s of thousands of acres in the Roaring Fork Valley. The large-scale project includes thinning overgrown vegetation in areas like the Frying Pan and Crystal River Valleys. Aspen Public Radio's Marci Krivonen reports.

Aspen sits smack dab in the middle of prime black bear habitat, and already this year several sightings and home break-in’s have been reported. The Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife takes those reports and deals with problem bears. Julie Mao is a Terrestrial Biologist for the agency. She told Aspen Public Radio’s Marci Krivonen as populations of bears and people grow in the state, more run-in’s with the bruins are expected.